Studies show Homework is Counterproductive... so why do we allow it??

[Anonymous]

I disagree.

Practice makes perfect and this fact is used constantly for sports, music and art. You can't learn without knowing facts by heart and you can't know facts without practicing them. In addition, critical thinking can only be developed by exercising it!

Homework should be tailored to each child and their learning needs, but in the absence of a one on one tutor/governess situation like in the old days, teachers give out the same batch of homework to their students.

Feel free to customize it to your child.

[Anonymous]

I personally think that the gist of this is that a small defined set of homework that is focused on topic is constructive, but larger amounts of homework are not exponentially or even linearly more effective. The issue becomes when a student is in multiple subjects which assign homework, how much cumulative is too much? IME as a student, parent and sometimes tutor is that the bigger problem is when a teacher does not consider the overall impact of adding a large homework problem because she fails to recognize that the student has homework from other subjects. If teachers assigned short homework that stayed focused on point and only took 15 minutes top to complete, then having 3-5 homework assignments for an hour wouldn't be too difficult. It's when one teacher assigns a homework assignment that takes an hour, they don't take into account that 4 other teachers assigned homework and the student is going to need 3-4 hours to complete the homework. It's kind of the educational equivalent to "everything in moderation."'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's true that the more you practice something, the better you will get at that activity. That is self-evident.
The problem is that after so many hours, you reach a point of diminishing returns where the marginal benefit you'd receive for another minute of math worksheets is less than the benefit you'd receive from doing something else that helps with brain development- exercise/sports, rest, eating, or building relationships with family and friends.
So you might get 1% better at math for doing another worksheet at 8pm. But you'd improve by 10% if you just stopped and went to bed. The brain needs time to rest and process everything it's absorbed.
The research DOES show benefits to homework at the high school level, but none at the elementary level. You may be right that the studies are not perfect. But until a perfect study is designed and the results are published, it is all we have. And it is possible to draw broad conclusions from a large body of imperfect studies. Such as the fact that we should not take for granted that excessive homework is always, 100% better. That is what the NEA has done- taken a moderate (if not evidence-based) approach of recommending 10 minutes a night per grade that balances the perspectives of both sides of this debate.

Thank you! You explained this quite well, and it's disturbing to me that there are teachers on this thread that don't understand that.

No one is saying practice isn't important. What the studies show is that additional practice in the form of homework is less effective for developing smart kids than other uses of the time at home. Doing chores, exploring other interests, practicing the piano, playing with friends, getting to bed early - these all develop skills that are critically important for academic and mental success.

The soccer example a teacher posted above is exactly on target, even though she doesn't realize it.
It's NOT good for a child to only ever play soccer. Evidence is mounting every day that the children who play one sport very intensely year-round have worse outcomes, mentally and physically, than children who play multiple sports. Playing multiple sports develops other muscles and skills that will make you a better overall soccer player than if you had spent that extra time doing footwork drills.

Likewise, learning to cook a meal or exploring nature are going to make you a smarter and more competent adult than an extra essay will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's true that the more you practice something, the better you will get at that activity. That is self-evident.
The problem is that after so many hours, you reach a point of diminishing returns where the marginal benefit you'd receive for another minute of math worksheets is less than the benefit you'd receive from doing something else that helps with brain development- exercise/sports, rest, eating, or building relationships with family and friends.
So you might get 1% better at math for doing another worksheet at 8pm. But you'd improve by 10% if you just stopped and went to bed. The brain needs time to rest and process everything it's absorbed.
The research DOES show benefits to homework at the high school level, but none at the elementary level. You may be right that the studies are not perfect. But until a perfect study is designed and the results are published, it is all we have. And it is possible to draw broad conclusions from a large body of imperfect studies. Such as the fact that we should not take for granted that excessive homework is always, 100% better. That is what the NEA has done- taken a moderate (if not evidence-based) approach of recommending 10 minutes a night per grade that balances the perspectives of both sides of this debate.

OP here... +1000 Here's the link: http://news.stanford.edu/2014/03/10/too-much-homework-031014/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally think that the gist of this is that a small defined set of homework that is focused on topic is constructive, but larger amounts of homework are not exponentially or even linearly more effective. The issue becomes when a student is in multiple subjects which assign homework, how much cumulative is too much? IME as a student, parent and sometimes tutor is that the bigger problem is when a teacher does not consider the overall impact of adding a large homework problem because she fails to recognize that the student has homework from other subjects. If teachers assigned short homework that stayed focused on point and only took 15 minutes top to complete, then having 3-5 homework assignments for an hour wouldn't be too difficult. It's when one teacher assigns a homework assignment that takes an hour, they don't take into account that 4 other teachers assigned homework and the student is going to need 3-4 hours to complete the homework. It's kind of the educational equivalent to "everything in moderation."'

OP here. +1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a high school teacher. My students who were admitted to top schools (Ivy League and MIT) were all "stressed", had a marked "reduction in health" in the form of more colds, probably due to lack of sleep, and had "less time for friends." I don't think these kids would do it any differently if they had to go through high school again. A lot of my former kids keep in contact with me, and the kids who worked the hardest in high school are now very happy in college.

Do you want your kid's high school experience to be the peak of his/her life, a golden time of social popularity and relaxation? Paying less attention to homework will help make that happen. But I think learning when to choose mild discomfort for the sake of delayed gratification is a wise skill to enforce.

You do you.

OP Here... I certainly intend to do Me and Mine. I hope you're not a teacher at my child's school when she hits high school. You're possibly part of the problem. You expect us to believe that you actually know with absolute certainty that your former students are happy in college? Seriously. What are the chances they'd contact you during their junior year to tell you how much they hated your teaching methodology?

Try reading an article from Psychology Today titled "Crisis U": "Educators contend that students arrive at college psychically burned out from building portfolios of excellence, primed to crumble at the first significant disappointment they encounter. According to Benjamin Locke, associate director for clinical services at Penn State, one in three students now starts college with a prior diagnosis of mental disorder. Academic or social stress, late-night cram sessions, any disruption of routine in the looser-than-home campus environment can shatter their stability." https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201509/crisis-u

This is where your "mild discomfort" leads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, your goals for your child determine whether the effects your "studies" found render homework "counterproductive" or not. If you don't care about top academic performance and the doors that will open, then yeah, I guess homework is "counterproductive."

OP here.. Well that's kinda the fallacy right? We've been told, since forever, that homework equals success. It doesn't. Now, are you/willing to accept the data and change your thought process?

[Anonymous]

Homework, and judging students' potential based on whether they did their homework, is one of the ways that the class system in our society replicates itself. Middle class, and UMC parents aren't going to advocate for an end to homework because so many of them see education as a zero sum game, and removing something they can "game" to get their kids ahead isn't something they'll support.

[Anonymous]

And some studies find it helps. The question is where are the diminishing returns.

As to your first point, most parents push schools to give MORE homework, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And some studies find it helps. The question is where are the diminishing returns.

As to your first point, most parents push schools to give MORE homework, OP.

Yes, they do. It gives parents a false sense of security. My kid has been in private school all of his years in school. I have heard from parents upset that there isn't a lot of homework. The teachers explain the well-studied data that shows hours on hours of homework every night can be counterproductive. The parents balk. They want to feel like they're getting the value of their $$$$ in tuition. No real tangible results (talking about elementary/middle) but they persist, so they can feel better about themselves (yes, themselves). Meanwhile, the kids suffer. Check out-- https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/teen-angst/201504/homework-hour-day-is-all-the-experts-say

[Anonymous]

Why stress about this? Just tell your kids not to do the assigned homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why stress about this? Just tell your kids not to do the assigned homework.

Who's stressed? It is called discourse. And discourse allows parents to learn of new perspectives. We stick our heads in the sand too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a high school teacher. My students who were admitted to top schools (Ivy League and MIT) were all "stressed", had a marked "reduction in health" in the form of more colds, probably due to lack of sleep, and had "less time for friends." I don't think these kids would do it any differently if they had to go through high school again. A lot of my former kids keep in contact with me, and the kids who worked the hardest in high school are now very happy in college.

Do you want your kid's high school experience to be the peak of his/her life, a golden time of social popularity and relaxation? Paying less attention to homework will help make that happen. But I think learning when to choose mild discomfort for the sake of delayed gratification is a wise skill to enforce.

You do you.

OP Here... I certainly intend to do Me and Mine. I hope you're not a teacher at my child's school when she hits high school. You're possibly part of the problem. You expect us to believe that you actually know with absolute certainty that your former students are happy in college? Seriously. What are the chances they'd contact you during their junior year to tell you how much they hated your teaching methodology?

Try reading an article from Psychology Today titled "Crisis U": "Educators contend that students arrive at college psychically burned out from building portfolios of excellence, primed to crumble at the first significant disappointment they encounter. According to Benjamin Locke, associate director for clinical services at Penn State, one in three students now starts college with a prior diagnosis of mental disorder. Academic or social stress, late-night cram sessions, any disruption of routine in the looser-than-home campus environment can shatter their stability." https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201509/crisis-u

This is where your "mild discomfort" leads.

Yes, I am absolutely certain that students cannot be successful in high school if they do not do homework. This means consistent attempts to keep up with assignments and review/revise on their own, not the "cram sessions" your cited article (which you don't appear to understand very well) mentions. That article is not talking about what I advise. Also, you know what? Some kids aren't meant to go to college, and those kids WOULD be stressed and overwrought if pressured to perform in the same way as other kids. I'm not talking about those kids. College-bound kids MUST do homework in high school, I am sure.

I pity you and your children if you truly believe kids should not be doing homework in high school.

Students who hated my class don't email me after graduation. The students who worked hard tend to like me, and many students write to me from college (freshman year and beyond). Not every week, but there are about a dozen who keep in touch, including several who asked me to their weddings. I also have a few who come visit our school and hang out in my classroom. So sorry, yes, I do know that these students are happy in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, your goals for your child determine whether the effects your "studies" found render homework "counterproductive" or not. If you don't care about top academic performance and the doors that will open, then yeah, I guess homework is "counterproductive."

OP here.. Well that's kinda the fallacy right? We've been told, since forever, that homework equals success. It doesn't. Now, are you/willing to accept the data and change your thought process?

OP, I feel embarrassed for you. You tried hard, but your reading comprehension/logic issues are apparent. You should have taken higher level courses in high school and done the homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do our students receive too much homework? There are several private schools (and some public) in the county that pride themselves on giving lots of homework to its students.
Do parents at these schools ever push back against these policies? They don't seem smart.

A Stanford University study found that too much homework is associated with:

• Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.

• Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.

• Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits: Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills,” according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.

Do we care? Studies around the world show that there is no empirical data that proves more homework equals greater success or information retention. Curious as to what you guys think.

It says, "TOO MUCH homework...."

Why can't OP read?